Silent camera-shutter.



A. J. MATTE-R '& F. V. CONLEY. SILENT CAMERA SHUTTER, APPLICATION manMAYIBI. 1911.

1,298,755., Patented Apr. 1,1919;

1H5 "aim: PETERS cu. PHoYaurum, wnsulrvcmm av c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. MATTER AND FRED V. CONLEY, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

SILENT CAMERA-SHUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919..

Application filed May 18, 1917. Serial No. 169,597.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ALBERT J. MATTER andFRED V. CoNLEY, citizens of the United States, and residing at Portland,in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Silent Camera-Shutters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to photographic shutters and has for its objectto provide a silent operating mechanism therefor.

We attain this object by means of the improvements illustrated in theaccompanying drawings'in which; I

Figure 1 is an elevation of our improved shutter.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the shutter shown in Fig. 1, with the lowerbearing plate removed and the operating engine and operating-shaftbearing shown in crosssection.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the portion above the line A-A in Fig. 1,showing the shutter-closing spring and connecting rod.

Fig. 4 illustrates the method of attaching the engine to theshutter-board.

Fig. 5 is a detail bottom view of thefocusing lock. 7

Like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a shutter-board of the usualconstruction having an opening therethrough at 2. At the top and bottomof the shutter-board 1, are attached bearing plates 3 and 4respectively. The upper bearing plate 3 carries two ballbearing cups 5provided with steel balls 6. The lower bearing-plate 4 carries twobearing-cups 7 within which are disposed plungers 8 and springs 9 andthey are further provided with steel balls 10. Shafts 12 and 13 carryingshutter-plates 14 and 15 respectively and having pivot ends as at 16 arepivotally mounted between and within the upper and lower bearings asshown in Fig. 1.

To provide proper relative movement of the two shutter plates 14 and15their shafts 12 and 13 are respectively provided with connecting roddisks 17 and 18 which carry a connecting rod 19 operatively mounted.Just below the shutter plates upon the shafts 12 and 13 are mounted thegrooved disks 21 and 22 respectively, having spring grooves 23 withinwhich a spring 24 is attached by means of pins 25. This spring is forthe purpose of keeping the shutter normally in closed position and toprevent the plates from rattling when opening. Top and bottom plates 27are provided to prevent light entering under the shutter plates 14 and15.

To operate the shutter a crank disk is mounted upon the shaft 12 at 29and carries the pivotally mounted end of a driveshaft 30 which passesthrough a bearing 31 having a silent bushing 32. The drive shaft 30 isprovided at its free end with a fiat head 33. An operating engine isprovided as shown in the various figures and consists of two conveneddisks 35 and 36 provided respectively with an orifice 37 and a tubeprojection 38 and attachedat their peripherie's by means of screws 39. Arubber disk 40 is held between the disks 35 and 36 and securedtherebetween by the screws 39. An operating tube is provided at 42 andis equipped with the usual hand-bulbfor forcing air between the rubberdisk 40 and the disk 36. To facilitate renewal of the engine whendesired, a locating plate is provided as at 43, being rigidly andpermanently attached to the shutter board 1, and the engine attached tosaid locating plate .as by screws 44 which pass through attachingextensions 45 and 40 of the disks 35 and 36 respectively. It is nowobvious that by forcing air through the tube 42 into the space betweendisk 40 and disk 36 said rubber disk 40 will exert pressure against thehead 33 of the operating shaft 30 tending to rotate the crank-disk 29thereby, in connection with the 001'11166131119: rod 19, forcing theshutter plates 14 and 15 into open position. To hold the shutter in openposition when fo cusing, a focusing-lock is provided and comprises alatch 48 pivotallyv mounted at 49 upon the'shutter-board 1 andhaving ahook end 50 with a spring extension 51. A spring is provided at 53,attached at one end to the latch 48 and at its other end to the shutterboard 1 thus providing means for holding the latch out of engagementwith the crank disk 29 which is provided with a notch at 54 to beengaged. by the hook end 50 of said latch. To hold the latch inengagement with the crank disk an operating-cord is provided at 55passing through a bearing or guide 56 carried by the shutter board 1 anda spring 27 is attached to one end of the cord 55 and to the springextension of latch 48. Said spring 57 is stronger than spring 53 so thatby pulling the cord 55 the latch is forced into resilient engagementwith the crank disk 29. In operation the cord 55 is first operated so asto hold the latch in locking engagement as described; the shutteroperating bulb is then compressed so as to open the shutter in orderthat the crankdisk 29 will be rotated into the position shown in Fig. 5whereupon the latch will resiliently mounted pivotal shutter bearings,

shutter-plates pivotally mounted in and between sald rigld and resilientbearlngs 1n such manner as to prevent rattling movevment in thebearings, means connecting the several shutter plates for simultaneousoperation, a spring mounted so as to close the shutter and also create atension in the bearing ends of said connecting means so as to take uplost motion, an operating engine having a flexible diaphragm, pneumaticmeans for distending said diaphragm and means operatively connectingsaid diaphragm with said shutter-plates, all substantially as describedand intended to provide a silently operable shutter.

2. In a silent shutter of the character de scribed, a silent operatingengine comprising a perforated front plate, a concave backplate having atube connection, a diaphragm of sheet rubber interposed between saidfrontand back-plates which are so disposed as to form a chamber for thediaphragm,

means for fastening the frontand backplates with the diaphragminterposed therebetween and a slidably mounted operating shaft having ahead held in juxtaposition to said d'izafphragm but not in contact withsaid diaphr m chamber and operatively connected at its opposite end withsaid shutter.

3. The combination with a shutter com prising plates carried bypivotally mounted shafts, one of which is provided with a crank-disk, ofan operating shaft having one end pivotally mounted in said crank-diskand its other end slidably mounted in a shafts, one of which is providedwith a crank-disk, of an operating shaft having one end pivotallymounted in said crank-disk and its other end slidably mounted in apadded bearing and provided with a button head, and an operating enginecomprising a concave perforated front plate, a concave back plate havinga tube connection, a diaphragm of sheet rubber interposed betweensaidfrontand back-plates which are so disposed as to form a chamber forthe diaphragm, means for fastening the frontand back-plates with thediaphragm interposed therebetween and so disposed as to permit the saiddiaphragm to operate against said button head when air is forced inthrough the tube connection.

5. The combination with a shutter comprising plates carried by pivotallymounted shafts, one of which is provided with a crank-disk, of anoperating shaft having one end pivotally mounted in said crank disk andits other end slidably mounted in a padded bearing and provided with abutton head, an operating engine comprising a concave perforated frontplate, a concave back plate having a tube connection, a diaphragm ofsheet rubber interposed between said frontand back-plates which are sodisposed as to form a chamber for said diaphragm,

'means for fastening the frontand backplates with the diaphragminterposed therebetween and so disposed as to permit the said diaphragmto operate against said button head when air is forced in through thetube connection, and means for engaging and locking said operatingmechanism when the shutter is in. open position.

6. The combination with a shutter comprising plates carried by pivotallymounted shafts, one of which is provided with a crank-disk ofmeansadapted to engage said crank disk for the purpose of locking it inopen position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

; ALBERT J. MATTER.

FRED V. GONLEY. l Vitnesses E. J. G. GoRDoN, ALMA A. GORDON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington',-1)'. C. i

